Welt lock for spring constructions



June 17,1930.- c, v, Log/ELL 1,764,878

WELT LOCK FOR SPRING CONSTRUGTIONS Filed Feb. 18/ 1928 A TTORNEY.

serious objection in a Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED S ATES PATENT orrlcr.

CLARENCE V. LOVELL, 0E JACKSON,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE REYNOLDS SPRING COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN WELT LOCK FOR- SPRIN G CONSTRUCTION S Application filed February 18, 1928.

. of the curtain or apron to the base frame a A further object of the invention is to provide a welt lock of this character which will enable a welt at the lower edge of the curtain or apron to be readily introduced into one of the grooves or channels of the S-shaped base frame and which, when inserted in the groove or channel will be securely retained therein. 4

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved frame and welt lock which will permit the removal of the welt of the lower edge of the curtain or apron without injuring the frame or interfering with the continued use of the same. In spring seat constructions where the base frame is closed and clamped against the lower edge of the apron or curtain to retain thelower edge in a groove or channel of the base frame, the base frame is ruined and has to be replaced should it become necessary to remove the apron or curtain from the groove or channel and this is a production plant and such objection is entirely overcome by the present invention. a r

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in-the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the durable and comparatively the curtain or Serial No. 255,415.

spirit or sacrificing any'of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure l is a vertical sectional View of a portion of a sprlng seat construction provided with a welt lock constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an of the welt lock.

Fig. 3 is a similar View, illustrating another form of locking welt. V

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention, 1 designates an S-shaped base frame constructed of sheetmetal and having N a lower inwardly facing groove or channel 2 in which 1s clamped the lower convolution 8 ofa spring 4. The S-shaped frame which in practice extends around the front, sides and back of the springseat or other springconstruction, has an upper outwardly facing groove or channel 5 formed by an approximately horizontal bottom wall 6, an inclined top wall 7, and a front wall 8 extending downwardly from the front of the top wall and spaced from the front of the bottom wall to form a constricted front entrance opening 9 through which the welt at the lower edgeof the curtain or apron 10 is introduced while the welt is in substantially a horizontal position. The spring 4 supports the upholstery 11 and the curtain or apron depends from the upholstery as clearly illustrated in Fig. l ofthe drawing, and may be connected with the same in any suitable manner. The welt is introduced into the pocket formed by the groove or channel 5 of the baseframe while the curtain or iapron is in a loose or slackened condition resulting from the compression of the spring i and when the spring is released, apron will be drawn taut and the welt will be held in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing and effectually prevented from accidentally leaving the pocket. The welt in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is formed by a pair of cylindrical welt cords l2 and 18. The material at the lower marginal edge of the curenlarged detail sectional View face to the curtain or and .13 is of greater and the. thickness of two separate v ping thelower marginal portion of the curtain or apron is wrapped around the upper or front welt cord 12 being extended upwardly from a point slightly below the welt cord and around the front over the top and of the welt cord. It

the lower welt cord'lS andthenklownwardly and forwardly around the front of the same,

the three thiclmesses-iof thematerial ,of the apron or curtain at the space between the welt cordsbeing united by one or more rows or stitching 14-. The curtainioraproni extends upwardly and outwardly at an inclination from the bottom of the inner or rear welt cord 13 and I is substantially straight between the bottom of the ,welt cord and the lower edge of the frontrwall 8 of the groove or channelb so that the pull is upon thelower portion of the locking welt which is. drawn to a position substantially crosswise of the restricted entrance opening 9. so that it is impossibleiforthe locli welt to pass through the sa d entrance 9 while it is in such crosswise poslopening tion illustrated in 'detail n F g. 2 of the drawing. The lower edge of the front wall '8 of the groove or channel is curved outwardly and upwardlyforming a curved flange 15 .whichpres nts an outer convex bearlng surapron. 'This smooth convex bearing surfaceprevents any chatting, wear or cutting of the curtain or apron. 'The locking welt formed by the welt cords 1 12 wi dth than thickness the locking welt is, ap-

proximately equal to the vidth of the restricted entrance opening so that'the lockingi welt when n a horizontalfposition may be readily. pressed into the pocketformed the groove orchani el'fi. 'Thetop jlIlCllIlGCl wall of the pocket is bent or shapedto' form two interior grooves 16. which conform to theconfiguration of the'loclring welt and form seats "forthe welt cords, the 'arcuately curvedportions of the top wall unitingat approxin' ately the center to 'forman mwardly projecting ridge 1'? wlnchextends between the welt cords as clearly illustrated injl ig. 2 of the drawing. Tlhelocking welt is firmly held in the pocket against the seats of the inclined top wall by'the tension-or strain on the curtain orapron.

lnsteadof providing a locking welt of welt cords and coiling or wraptain orapron aroundthe same, a locking welt having a. greater width than thickness may be formed-by a singlewelt strip 1821s illustrated in'lfig. 30f the drawing. The welt stripl8. is substantially oblong in cross section and is adapted tozbe arranged crosswise o'f the entrance opening 9 of the'upper groove-or channel of the base frame. The marginal portion of the apron orcurtam-19 is wrapped or coiled around the welt strip 18 and is secured to thesame by one or more rows of stitching 20 which is preferably located slightly below the center of the welt strip so that'the apron or curtain extends from the lower portion of the welt strip in substantially a straightline to the lower edge of the front wall 8 of the groove or channel-5. The pull or strain on the curtain or iapron will maintain-the. locking welt in -across-wise;position with relation to the restricted entrance opening 9 and there will be-;no liability of the locking welt becoming accidentally disengaged from the pocket of the base frame. The locking welt is adapt ed to be readily introduced into the pocket of the base frame in a substantially horizontal position while the curtain or apron is loosened or slackened and the operation is the same as that described in connection with the locking welt illustrated. in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In both forms of the invention the locking welt may be removed from the pocket by the use of asuitable tool without liability of ruining the base frame.

V hat is claimed is 2- 1. A welt lock includinga base frame having a groove or channel opening outwardly at. the'front of the frame toforin a pocket and provided with a restricted front on trance opening said base frame being provided inone of the walls of'the groove or panel with a plurality of separate seats, and an apron or curtain providedat its lower marginal portion with a locking welt consisting of a plurality of welt cords fitting in the'said separate seats and forming a welt of greater width than thickness adapted to be introduced edgewise into. the pocket and to bezarranged cross-wise with relation to the entrance opening to prevent accidental removal from the pocket.

2. "A welt lock including a base frame havinga groove or channel opening outwardly at the front of the frame to form a pocriet andprovided with a restricted front ontrance opening, said base framebeing provided in one of the walls of the groove or channel with separate seats, and a curtain or apron provided at its lower marginal portion with a welt composed of two cylindrical cords arranged. inthe said seats, the marginal portion of the curtain orapron being coiled around the cylindrical cords and the latter forming a locking welt of greater width than thickness to enable it to be'passe'd the marginal portion of the curtain or apron the lower portion ofthe lock p of the curtain or apron bottom wall and havmg .wardly at the front of being coiled around the cylindrical cords and the coiled portions being secu 'ed together between the welt cords whereby the apron is caused to exert an upwardpull on welt to maintain the latter in engagement with the top of the pocket-at a'point above the restricted entrance opening.

4. A welt lock including a base frame having a groove or channel opening outwardly at the front of the frame to form a pocket and provided with a restricted front entrance opening and an apron or curtain provided at its lower marginal portion with a lock welt of greater width than thickness and of a size to be introduced edgewise into the pocket through the restricted entrance opening, said lock welt consisting of a plurality of welt cords and the marginal portion being passed around the welt cords and securing the same to the apron or curtain, the latter being arranged to exert a pull upon the lower portion of the lock welt for maintaining the same in a cross-wise position with relation to the restricted entrance 0 enin and in en 'a ement with the walls of the groove or channel at a point above the restricted entrance opening.

5. A welt lock including a base frame having a groove or channel opening outwardly at the front of the frame to form a pocket and provided with a restricted front entrance opening, said pocket being provided with an approximately horizontal an approximately inclined top wall and a front wall depend ing from the said top wall, and an apron or curtain having a welt lock of greater width than thickness and of a size to be passed edgewise through the restricted entrance opening and the pocket being of sufficient depth from front to rear to permit the welt lock to be inserted wholly within the pocket in such position and to be turned within the pocket cross-wise of the said entrance opening with its upper portion fitting against the said front wall, said curtain or apron being attached at the lower outer or front portion of thelock welt whereby the curtain or apron will exert a pull upon the lower portion of the lock welt for maintaining the same in the said cross-wise position with respect to the entrance opening and in engagement with the top and front walls at a point above the restricted entrance opening.

6. A welt lock including a base frame having a groove or channel opening outthe frame to form a pocket and provided with a restricted front entrance opening, said pocket being provided with an approximately horizontal bottom wall and having an inclined top wall composed of upper and lower curved and a curtain or portions forming interior concave seats, and a front wall depending from the top wall, apron having a lock Welt arranged within the said pocket,and composed of'a pair of welt cords fitting the seats of the said top wall, said curtain or apron being attached to the lock welt at the lower front portion thereof whereby the pull on the curtain will maintain the lock welt in engagement with the said seats.

7. welt lock including an approximately S-shaped base frame having a lower inwardly opening groove or channel and an upper outwardly opening groove or channel, the upper groove or channel forming a pocket having an approximately horizontal bottonr wall, an inclined top wall and a front wall depending from the top wall and spaced from the bottom wall to form a constricted entrance opening and having'its lower edge curved outwardly and upwardly to present a smooth exterior surface, and a curtain or apron having a lock welt of greater width than thickness and of a size to be introduced edgewise into the pocket and the pocket being of suificient depth from front to rear to permit the lock welt to be inserted wholly within the pocket in such position and to be turned within the pocket crosswise with respect to the entrance opening against the inclined top wall and depending front wall, said apron being attached to the lower front portion of the lock welt and exerting an upward pull on the lower portion of the said lock welt whereby the lock welt will be normally maintained in such position by the strain or pull on the apron or curtain.

8. A base frame for spring structures, composed of a strip of sheet metal folded longitudinally upon itself to provide an inwardly opening groove and an outwardly opening groove to form a pocket and pro vided with a constricted front entrance opening, said pocket being closed at the back and having an approximately horizontal bottom wall and a top wall directed upwardly and outwardly in an inclined direction with relation to said approximately horizontal bottom wall, with the outer portion thereof turned downwardly toward said approximately horizontal wall to form the said constricted front entrance opening and thence directed outwardly and upward ly and substantially vertically in a plane substantially in' line with the back wall of said inwardly opening groove,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- CLARENCE V..LOVELL. 

